The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1887-11-30
AUT0MAT0NS.
WONDERFUL PUPPETS THAT
HAVE STARTLED MANKIND.
AutOmatons That Did Everything
but Think-Iron Eagles and
Wooden Birds-A Remark
able Trumpeter.

Puppets or marionettes were patronized
by both the Greeks and Romans, and
automata, which are the inventions which
are principally dealt with, also go back
to remote period. Vulcan's tripod on
wheels has the authority of HomtF
D,pdalus made moving statues; Archytas,
of Tarentum, 400 b. c., invented a
wooden pigeon that could fly in the air.
In the fifteenth century Regiomantamus
made an iron fly that moved through the
atmosphere, and afterward an automatic
eagle which on the arrival of the En-
peror Maximilian at Nuremberg, flew
forth to meet him.
Albcrtus NTagnus is credited with con-
stru citing head that moved and talked,
and which so frightenen Thomas Aquinas
that he smashed tinto pieces. Albertus
exclaimed when he saw his achievement
destroyed: $50 perishes the work of
thirty years." Roger Bacon made q
a speaking head of brass, which excited
awe among all who heard it.
Speaking automata have been frequent
ly attempted of late years. but the great
difficulty lies in Stimulating the human
voice. The most successful of these eff
forts was perhaps that of Prof. Faber, OF
Vienna, exhibited in London forty years
ago under the name of Euphonia. Faber
worked forty years at the automaton.
The figure enunicated words and also
sang. There was an arrangement OF
bellows, pipes pedals and keys, which
the inventor played to prompt the dis
course.
Philip Campo invented a wonderful
group of automata for Louis XIV.-a
carriage and four horses that started of
with the crack of whip, the horses
prancing, trotting and galloping in turn.
1t ran along until it got in front of the
King, when it. stopped. Then toy
footman descended and, opening the
carriage door, handed out lady with
born grace" The lady made courtesy,
presented petition to His Majesty and,
re- entering her carriage, was driven
away.
The king of automata constructors was
Jaques Vaucanson, born at Grcnoble in
100. While quite boy he made several
sclf-moving figures. The bent Of his
mind was determined by rather pecu-
liar circumstance. Being left to himself
in the house of friend to which he
went with his mother, he perceived
through the crack of PARTON an old
clock with slowly swinging pendulum,
which excited his attention. Next time
he visited the house he had pencil
and paper with him, and made a rough
sketch of the clock. By earnest study
and investigation he succeeded in max
ing clock of his own out of pieces OF
wood, and this wooden clock kept time
fairly well. Then began his experiments
with automata.
"He made wooden chapel, with NOV
ing figures of priests. He invented a
hydraulic machine for the city of Lyons,
and, later, in the same place, perfected a
machine for silk weaving that caused the
workpeople to rise against him in arms.
His first great achievement in automata
was flute player, which was one of the
wonders of his time. He had been ill
and made it during his convalescence.
The several parts of it were made by diff
ferent workmen to prevent its discovery.
Only faithful servant aided him in his
secret. According to DAlembert, the
remarkable figure stood on q pedestal. in
which a portion Of the mechanism was
concealed, and the player not only blew
into the instrument, but with his lips in
creased or diminished the sound. perform.
ing the legato and staccato passages with
perfection and lingering with complete
accuracy. 1t was exhibited in Paris in
1888 and made a great sensation. Nau-
canson next made hageolet player, and
later mechanical duck, which waddled,
swan, dived and quackcd, and, like De
Gennes's peacock, picked up and swal-
lowed its food He was engaged on an
endless chain when he died. lie willed
all his automata to the King.
Maetzel, the inventor of the mctronome
and of several musical automata, opened
an exhibition in Vienna in 1909, with a
life-size automaton trumpeter as the
chief attraction. When the audience
entered all they saw was tent. After
time the curtain parted and Maetzel ap-
pcared leading forward trumpeter in
the full regimentals of an Austrian
dragoon. BY pressing the left epaulet
of the figure he made it play cavalry calls
and march and an allegro by Weigi,
accompanied by a full band of living
musicians. Nor was this all. The
figure retired and reappeared as a
trumpeter of the French Guard. Maetzel
wound it up on the left hip, pressed once
more on the left epaulet, and it played
the French cavalary calls, French
cavalry march by Dussck and one Of
Pleyel's allegros, the full band again
accom- anying.-New York Journal.